"UFO".....Unidentified Food Object....

Any idea what these are?  A green tomato?  But what is the husk like stuff around them?  They are farmed and sold and are about the size of a clementine.  They are also harvested in the wild.  The ones found in the wild are about the size of a large cherry.

Any idea?  Have you ever eaten a "green salsa?"  If you have, you're already enjoyed the tomatillo.  It is also referred to as a Mexican tomato.  Pronounced (toe-ma-tee-oh)  They taste nothing like a tomato, yet the insides do look a bit like one.  They have a very tart and fresh taste.  You want to buy them when the husk is easy to remove and the fruit is firm.    Being a gardener myself, I was very intrigued what the tomatillo flower looks like!  Very cool!

They are very easy to prepare.  I love the "fire roasted" taste in a salsa.  Simply peel away the husk and cook right on the grill to achieve a charred result as seen below.

Salsa Verde

(Green Salsa)

½ lb. tomatillo
1 medium Vidalia or sweet yellow onion
2 poblano peppers
1 juicy lime, juiced
1 small bunch cilantro
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoons salt, or more to your taste
¼ teaspoon pepper

1) Preheat grill on high for about 10 minutes.
2) Peel onion, cut into large slices. Rub a small amount of canola oil on all slices and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, put on a plate to take to the grill. Peel tomatillos and rinse. Rinse poblano peppers.
3) To the grill. Place whole tomatillos, whole poblanos, and sliced onions on the hot grill. Remove tomatillo and onion once charred and set aside.
4) Once the poblano peppers are charred, place in a small bowl and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. This will steam the peppers and the charred skin will be easy to remove. After about 20 minutes, remove lid or wrap and remove skin as best as you can, and seeds if you want a more mild salsa.
5) Place the charred tomatillo, peeled and seeded poblanos, charred onion and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse 10-15 times.   Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. 

Enjoy with tortilla chips, with tacos or over spicy grilled fish.  Store in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid in refrigerator for up to two weeks.  Enjoy!